Posted: 11.15.2006 10:25 pm Post subject: The Weinstein Company movies for rent only at Blockbuster?

No TWC titles for Netflix? Bah. Full press release:

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THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY GRANTS TOTAL ACCESS TO BLOCKBUSTER

FULL SLATE OF THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY?S THEATRICAL AND DIRECT-TO-VIDEO TITLES TO BE OFFERED FOR RENT EXCLUSIVELY AT BLOCKBUSTER STORES AND ONLINE RENTAL SERVICE

Genius Products, LLC to service exclusive alliance between TWC and Blockbuster

(NEW YORK, Nov. 15, 2006) - THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY (TWC), the multi-media enterprise launched by movie industry icons Bob and Harvey Weinstein, and Blockbuster Inc. (NYSE: BBI, BBI.B) today announced a groundbreaking four-year exclusive alliance, which provides Blockbuster with exclusive US rental rights to TWC?s theatrical and direct-to-video movies, beginning on Jan. 1, 2007. Under the terms of the agreement, TWC and Blockbuster will share rental revenues from TWC?s theatrical and direct-to-video titles. Genius Products, LLC, TWC?s exclusive home entertainment distributor, will provide distribution services to TWC in connection with the deal. This deal however, does not include the exclusive rights in connection with retail sell-thru sales of TWC?s home entertainment product.

?We are very excited about our alliance with Blockbuster, as we believe it will bring our company increased access to millions of consumers. Blockbuster is an industry leader of in-home entertainment and is highly committed to their customers? experience,? said Bob and Harvey Weinstein, co-chairmen of The Weinstein Company. ?As movie lovers, we have always aimed to produce and acquire films that people will enjoy, so we feel that this agreement is a win-win for TWC, Blockbuster and for consumers. The unique combination of Blockbuster?s established in-store retail experience with the power of their online subscription service was one of the biggest factors that attracted us to this alliance.

Through the agreement, Blockbuster will carry future theatrical and direct-to-video titles released by TWC and will have a three-year rental exclusivity for each title released. In exchange for exclusivity, Blockbuster will pay TWC a minimum guarantee, determined by box office performance, for each theatrical picture, and based on the acquisition or production costs for each DTV title.

Some of the first films available for rent exclusively at Blockbuster will include: ?Bobby,? starring Anthony Hopkins, Demi Moore, Sharon Store, Elijah Wood and Lindsay Lohan; ?School for Scoundrels,? starring Billy Bob Thornton; ?The Protector,? the full-bodied martial arts action film starring Thai sensation Tony Jaa; ?Shut Up & Sing,? a documentary following the Dixie Chicks recording their first album after making political statements prior to the Iraq War; ?Miss Potter,? the Beatrix Potter biopic starring Renee Zellweger and Ewan McGregor; ?Grindhouse,? the thrilling double feature from Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez that will recall both filmmakers? favorite exploitation films; ?The Nanny Diaries,? based on the New York Times No. 1 best-selling book of the same name, starring Scarlett Johansson, Laura Linney and Paul Giamatti; and ?Arthur and The Invisibles,? the larger-than-life CGI animated family adventure.

?Bob and Harvey Weinstein are legendary producers whose movies have long been customer favorites at Blockbuster,? said Blockbuster Chairman and CEO John Antioco. ?As evidenced by our recent introduction of Blockbuster Total Access?, Blockbuster is always looking for ways to give our customers the products and services they want - and can?t find any place else - and this agreement will enable us to do just that. Now, as the exclusive rental provider, we?ll be the only place, in-store and online, that can guarantee customers a wide selection of The Weinstein Company films available for rent.?

The Weinsteins have produced some of the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful movies over the past two decades, including ?Chicago,? ?Cold Mountain,? ?Gangs of New York,? and ?Kill Bill Volume 1.? In addition to their box office success, these titles also rank among the top-performing rental titles at Blockbuster. Recently, TWC?s ?Derailed? was the No. 1 home video rental title for the entire rental industry in its debut week and is one of the top rental titles year-to-date, and ?Lucky Number Slevin? was the No.1 home video rental title for the entire rental industry in its first two weeks of release.

Blockbuster plans to showcase the TWC movies in special sections in its stores and online. It will also offer customers the TWC movies under its in-store guaranteed availability program, which guarantees customers that select movies will be in-stock or they get a ?rain-check? free rental coupon for that movie. Blockbuster also plans to share general trending information with TWC, such as the types of movies and actors the Blockbuster consumer would like to see more of, which could provide valuable insights for future film projects.

?The Weinsteins are known for their innovation and marketing expertise,? Antioco said. ?We look forward to leveraging the combined power of our two brands to deliver more entertainment value to our customers.?

Trevor Drinkwater, President and Chief Executive Officer for Genius Products commented, ?This strategic alliance exemplifies what we believe to be one of our major competitive advantages. We believe that we offer a unique ability for our content partners to explore groundbreaking agreements with our retail partners.?

Wow. Add this to the Weinsteins' long track record of finding distribution patterns that make sense for their own bottomline but don't make sense for movie lovers.

I don't think this agreement will endure._________________"When I was in Barcelona they showed pornography on regular television. I'm assuming it's the same way in Mexico since they also speak Spanish." - IMDb user comment

I've rented exclusively from Netflix for 5 or 6 years. Will the absence of TWC films from the Netflix roster make me more likely to rent from Blockbuster? Frankly, I doubt it. It just means I'll miss a few Weinstein movies, or buy a used DVD like I would have anyway. I don't like the idea of the Weinsteins dictating to me where I should rent movies.

If I were a filmmaker for the Weinsteins, I'd be ticked that certain audiences were being systematically denied access to my movie._________________"When I was in Barcelona they showed pornography on regular television. I'm assuming it's the same way in Mexico since they also speak Spanish." - IMDb user comment

I hang on to the 1-a-month option of Netflix for special titles, but I'm currently on the 3-at-a-time Hollywood video plan, which I like for the simple fact that the turnaround is quicker._________________Danny Baldwin

I hang on to the 1-a-month option of Netflix for special titles, but I'm currently on the 3-at-a-time Hollywood video plan, which I like for the simple fact that the turnaround is quicker.

About five years ago, when the company endured its growing pains, I nearly gave up on Netflix. The turnaround was frustratingly slow. These days, though, it's remarkably speedy--sometimes I'm surprised by how fast discs exchange.

Of all the online rental outlets, Netflix still seems to have the most comprehensive collection. But even they don't stock everything--occasionally I'll search for something that I know is on DVD, but Netflix has no listing._________________"When I was in Barcelona they showed pornography on regular television. I'm assuming it's the same way in Mexico since they also speak Spanish." - IMDb user comment